Greene County, NY (March 8, 2016) - This April, instead of spring flowers, visitors to the Great Northern Catskills of Greene County can expect to take an epicurean trip through the region renowned for its artistic attractions and outdoor recreation opportunities during restaurant week and New York State's premier beer festival.

The inaugural Greene County Restaurant Week kicks off April 1 with 10 days of feasting at participating restaurants offering a prix fixe menu of three courses for $20.16. Participating options include longstanding favorites such as the Bavarian Manor's fine German cuisine, newcomer The New York Restaurant's take on classic American fare, and Bistro Brie & Bordeaux's French country menu.

Later this spring, TAP NY Craft Beer and Food Festival is slated for April 23 & 24 at Hunter Mountain. The festival, hailed as the state's largest single-state craft beer festival in the entire U.S.A, hosts more than 90 breweries from across the Empire State will offer hundreds of samples and perfectly paired snacks. Breweries from across the state will compete for Best Craft Brewery in NYS, and Best Craft Brewery in the Hudson Valley, and participants can enjoy food pairings and live music.

In addition to these two stellar drink and dine festivals, the Great Northern Catskills offer a growing number of microbreweries including:

• Cave Mountain Brewery Company in Windham has a few accolades to its name, including "Best Brewery" and "Best Burger," in addition to the distinction of being the area's first microbrewery. So, add trendsetter to the above. Stop in for the wide variety of hand-crafted brews, great food, and chill atmosphere.
• Hammo's Brew Pub & Lounge in Hensonville is brand spanking new, and the microbrews on tap pair perfectly with the restaurant's "five diverse riffs on mac & cheese," because, why not? Chicken and biscuits and a Col. Zadock IPA, please.
• Angela's Pizzeria & Brewery home of the Rip Van Winkle Brewing Company in Catskill is the sum of all that is holy in beer and pizza. A micro-selection of six world-class microbrews pair with the restaurant's authentic Italian-American cuisine.
• Honey Hollow Brewing Co. in Earlton produces small-batch ales made entirely with New York State-sourced ingredients. A nano, do-it-ourselves farm brewery, the folks at Honey Hollow use hops from their garden, which doubles as their tasting room. It's perfectly pastoral.
• Crossroads Brewing Company in Athens is the home of a TAP NY's "Best Brewery in the Hudson Valley" award, and a "Best India Pale Ale in New York," so they're pretty legit. Ten craft brews, New York State wines, and a menu of locally sourced meats, produce, and cheese from farms in the Hudson Valley pair perfectly with their Great American Beer Festival win from a few years ago.

Check out the Catskills' food scene, and go to www.greatnortherncatskills.com to begin planning a tour of the region's top microbreweries, wineries and foodie festivals.

About Greene County:
Greene County is in the Great Northern Catskills, home to five of the 10 highest peaks in the Catskill Park, family resorts, outdoor adventure and year-round entertainment. Known as the nation's first wilderness, and renowned as the home of Thomas Cole's Hudson River School, the Catskills are a haven for outdoor recreation and artistic inspiration. Greene County was also the inspiration for Washington Irving's literary legend, Rip Van Winkle. Connect with the Catskills at Facebook.com/GreatNorthernCatskills, and on Twitter.com/CatskillTourism